In celebration of the International Day of Forests, Forest Watch Australia is launching a nationwide biosecurity blitz from 21 March to 21 April 2025. The aim is to encourage everyone to take a closer look at the health of their trees and report any pests they find. This initiative will help create a snapshot of the pests present in Australia’s forests and promote early reporting of potential forest pest threats.

Why participate?

Australia boasts the seventh largest forest estate in the world, with 134 million hectares of forests and woodlands. Our forests, woodlands, and urban trees are currently free from many significant exotic pests that impact tree health and timber production overseas. However, exotic pests and pathogens pose a real threat to our native forest ecosystems, plantations, and urban trees.

How to get started

1. Register for TREEmendous Blitz
2. Download the MyPestGuide® Trees app for iOS, Android or use the web-based version
3. Choose a tree in your backyard, a nearby park, or a forest
4. Inspect the tree: look for signs of pests or diseases on the leaves, trunk, and new shoots
5. Report your findings: use the MyPestGuide® Trees app to identify and report any pests you find. The app will guide you through the process to upload photos and to provide details about the location and condition of the tree.

The Forest Watch Australia program supports surveillance and training activities to enable the early detection of exotic pests that pose significant risks to our urban, natural and commercial forests.

Forest Watch Australia is coordinated by Plant Health Australia (PHA) and is a collaborative program proudly supported by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, NRM Regions Australia, the Invasive Species Council, and the Forest Sector.

For more information, please contact the Forest Watch team at forest_admin@phau.com.au